Light in the Darkness
by Novembertopaz
Summary: Draco does some light snooping into Harry's personal story. First One-Shot. R&R.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**A/N: To those of you who are/were reading Where'd You Go, I am truly sorry that the epilogue is not up yet. I moved and still haven't found it, and I don't want to screw it up by trying to do it from memory. It's not really vital to the story anyways, it just wraps things up… Anyways, I'm attempting a few one-shots, so please let me know how you like this. It's rated between PG-13 and M because the content is mature, but there are no lemons.**

**Careful Prying – Draco's POV**

Draco draped himself lazily across his lover's chest and began playing with the very sparse hair that met his fingers. Finally deciding to just come out and ask he steeled himself to be anything from ignored to rebuked. "Harry," he murmured quietly, "why won't you ever let me leave the light on?" It was something he'd been meaning to ask for some time now. He felt the young man stiffen beneath him and was met with resolute silence. Determinedly he restrained a sigh, hoping that letting the raven stew for a bit might loosen his tongue.

After Harry had defeated Voldemort many of the students had opted to redo the year instead of moving forward in their schooling as they felt it hadn't been taught properly. The seventh years had the highest return rate since everyone was determined to get in a proper last year. Harry and Draco had been among them. Both had been extremely weary from the war and had found that an unlikely bond had formed between them without them even noticing. It had started with polite indifference towards each other, the sharp barbs and quick jests between them a thing of the past. Then it had progressed to polite chatter, easily giving way to friendly conversations. As Ron and Hermione had been eager to marry and start a family they had opted not to return and the two boys had found that neither was as terrible as the other had thought after spending all of their free time together. It was during the Christmas holidays that everything had changed.

They'd been lovers ever since and at first Draco had contributed the need for complete darkness to new relationship jitters and had admitted that it was helpful to himself as well. It quickly became apparent that Harry was extremely shy to boot. As the end of the school year drew closer and they decided that their relationship was strong enough to be put to the test in the real world, he started to become suspicious. To his utter delight he and Harry had both been offered teaching positions, Harry as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor and Draco in the place of Professor Snape as Potion's Master. He still felt a pang every time he thought about the man and how close he had actually come to dying. No one could blame him for seeking an early retirement.

Their first school year as teachers had been extremely interesting considering they had known quite a few of the people they'd been teaching. It was going to be that way for a few years. However, the school year was now over and though he and Harry had been together for almost a year and a half he seemed to be making no progress with the blasted man. And to be honest, these days he was acting more like an emotional Gryffindor than a level-headed Slytherin. When it became apparent that Harry wasn't going to answer he decided to lighten the mood.

"Why is it that _you_ and not _I_ seem to be the Slytherin in this relationship?" he grumbled, but he put in a teasing note so that Harry could tell he was not angry with him. Harry chuckled, but it lacked the usual warmth.

"Did I ever tell you that the sorting hat wanted to put me in Slytherin?" he asked in a light, cheerful voice that was obviously forced. Draco did not want to let himself get distracted, but he decided to indulge both his own curiosity and his lover's need to stall.

"Actually I don't believe you ever mentioned that interesting little tidbit. What changed its mind?"

"I'd heard that all the bad wizards came from Slytherin and I begged it to put me anywhere else," he said softly. This, it seemed, was a night for touchy subjects. Draco still hated that he'd been marked by evil, that most people still saw him as such despite the fact that he himself never had been evil. He sighed, unconsciously rubbing his wrist, now clear of the mark due to the Dark Lord's death. Harry gently stopped the nervous gesture, bringing his hand up to his face and placing a tender kiss on the inside of his forearm. Draco did sigh this time as he relaxed against the green eyed man once again. Not that he could see his eyes at the moment…

"You were disturbingly misinformed," he said in a self righteous tone that Harry _knew_ was completely fake. Still, Harry chuckled appreciatively. Draco was just about to give up on this endeavor.

"I don't want the lights on because I don't want you to see me. And because I can't face what we're doing together in the light," he said in a strained voice.

"Can you explain?" he asked gently, hesitantly. He felt the unusually high tension in Harry's muscles and knew that the man could push him away at any moment.

"It's… not something I like to think about Draco… I've never… um… I've never talked about it before." Clearly nervous and on edge. Draco rubbed Harry's chest soothingly, using his other hand to run his fingers gently through his hair, an action that he knew helped Harry to relax. It even began working, the man's muscles slowly easing up little by little. Draco said nothing, merely waited.

"There are things I won't be able to say," Harry warned. Draco continued his soothing ministrations. "I don't want you to see me because… I'm not a pretty sight. I have… many secrets that those around me never even had an inkling of. There are only four living people who know about them… the Dursleys and myself. And on top of not wanting you to see the ugliness they inflicted on me, I don't want to face it either. In the light, I will see everything you're doing to me and it could bring back… unwanted memories." He took a deep shuddering breath.

"Harry…" he started softly. "Were you… sexually abused by your uncle?" This last part came out as barely a whisper. He felt the renewed tension in his lover's body and he pulled him into a tight embrace. "Why didn't you tell me before we…? I would have gone about things differently."

"Exactly. I didn't want to be treated differently," he said harshly.

"Harry… by leaving the lights off, I _am_ treating you differently." He waited as he felt the shock radiating from the raven. Then, without warning, the lights came on. Harry's jaw was clenched, his eyes screwed shut, his muscles taught and twitching with exertion. And Draco saw what Harry thought was "ugly", the things that made him ashamed. His scars. Carefully he readjusted his body until he was straddling the slightly smaller male and lowered his mouth to one of the scars, starting at his shoulders, and brushed his lips across it in a feather light caress. Harry's eyes snapped open and he stared at Draco, stunned. Draco pressed his lips to another one, slowly working his way down. When Harry pulled him up to search his eyes Draco murmured, "No more hiding Harry. I love _you_, exactly the way you are. And you will not be carrying this alone any longer." Slowly he initiated a kiss. It was meant to be careful, tender, but Harry made it hungry.

Pulling away he whispered, "Show me." Draco smiled happily down at him as he leaned in for another kiss.


End file.
